


After Dinner Mints

by Pestiset



Series: College Effect [3]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Oral, Sex, dinner at apollo's, smutty mcsmutsmut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 07:20:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2100576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pestiset/pseuds/Pestiset
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few days after their confessions to each other at practice, Kaidan took Jane out to dinner, then back to his apartment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After Dinner Mints

Jane scrutinised her reflection in the mirror carefully, repetitively smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress. Frowning slightly, she glanced over her shoulder at the jeans and sweater hanging off the back of the desk chair. She still had time, she wasn’t meeting Kaidan at Apollo’s until seven and there was normally a long wait for a table. She was just picking the jeans up when her phone vibrated insistently on the dressing table; she lunged and caught it just as it skittered off the edge. Thumbing the answer button, she had it to her ear before she’d registered the caller.

“Hello, Jane speaking.”

“Hey Jane,” Kaidan replied softly “So, uh, about tonight…”

Swallowing around the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat, Jane managed to bite off a response.

“Cancelling on me are you, what’s up?”

A sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

“I’m not cancelling on you Shepard. I just got a phone call from one of one of my classmates who works at Apollo’s, she’s got a table free and is going to hold it for us, but we’ve got to be down there in ten minutes. Reckon you can make it?”

Casting a frustrated look at the comfortable clothes on the back on the chair, Jane nodded, before remembering Kaidan couldn’t see her.

“Yeah, I’ll be there. See you in ten.”

Kaidan’s grin came through in his voice.

“Looking forward to it Jane.”

Hanging up her phone, she dropped to the floor and fumbled about underneath her bed, grabbing the first pair of heels that came to hand. Sky high and bright red patent leather. She couldn’t remember why she bought them, and they didn’t look comfortable, but she didn’t have time to be picky. Fortunately, they went with the dress she thought, tearing off her black tights and shoving her feet into them. She paused in front of the mirror as she grabbed her coat off the hook next to the door, a completely different Jane to the one she was used to stared back, wearing a keyhole necked black satin dress that stopped halfway down her thighs, with legs that went for miles.

“Balls deep or go home Jane,” she whispered to herself, shrugging into her coat and flicking off her bedroom light.

She hadn’t realised Ash and James were home until she heard a wolf whistle from the open lounge door.

“Looking good skipper!” Ash called, poking her head over the back of the couch. “You’re gonna knock him dead! I’ll be very disappointed in the both of you if you come back alone tonight.”

“Who says she’s gonna come home? Dios mio Lola you’re looking fine this evening!” James shouted from the kitchen stove, eyeing her up over the bench. “Damn, where you been hiding those legs? L2’s a lucky guy.”

“One day you’re going to have to tell me where you got L2 from, but it is not this day.” Jane retorted, snagging her keys off the bench. “I’ll see you two later; hopefully I can get the Normandy to start in this cold.”

“The Normandy is a tough one, she’ll start.” Ash commented, turning back to the TV and flicking through the channels. “See you later skipper.”

The old red Camaro started first go, much to Jane’s surprise, and she managed to find a park almost right outside Apollo’s. Kaidan was standing outside the door, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his leather jacket, shifting from foot to foot against the cold wind. He looked up as she walked towards him.

“Hey Shepard…” he trailed off as his eyes travelled down her body and back up to her face. “I… Wow. You look absolutely radiant.” Pulling his hand out of his pocket, he reached for her hand and pulled her close.

She couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out.

“That so? Radiant as in stunning or causing invisible damage?”

He met her eyes and lifted her hand to his lips. The slightest hint of teeth scraping across her knuckle had her toes curling in her shoes and heat pooling low in her belly. No man had the right to look and act that enticingly.

“Why can’t it be both?” he replied, lowering her hand and tucking it into the pocket of his jacket with his own. “Ow my heart. Shall we go in? Ally’s still holding a table for us, but her boss is breathing down her neck.”

As they stepped through the doors into Apollo’s, they were hit with a wall of heat that had Jane pulling her hand out of Kaidan’s pocket and shedding her coat.

“Shit Shepard,” Kaidan breathed in her ear. “How am I gonna concentrate on dinner with you looking like that?”

“They do good steaks here don’t they? Since when have you let anything distract you from a steak?” she replied, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. He growled deep in his throat and caught her around the waist.

“Minx” he muttered before sliding his hands down to her hips and pulling her flush against him, resting his forehead against hers. His lips had barely brushed her own when they were interrupted by a pointed cough.

“Bloody hell bro, grinding doesn’t happen until after we put the tables away at ten. You going to introduce me Kaidan?”

“Damn it Ally,” he groaned, pulling back from Jane. “Ally, this is Jane Shepard, Jane, this is Ally Ryder.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Jane commented, carefully scrutinising the other woman.

“Oh don’t look at me like that.” Ally remarked, grabbing a couple of menus and leading them through the maze of tables towards the far corner. “K hasn’t stopped talking about you for weeks, I am no threat whatsoever. I am genuinely pleased that he’s asked you out. Here we are.” They stopped by a table in the most secluded corner, a lightly scented candle burning gently in the centre of it. Ally pulled a chair out, and Jane sunk into it gratefully, slipping her feet out of her shoes as soon as they were hidden beneath the table. Kaidan sat at right angles to her, immediately reaching for the drinks list. Ally whipped it out of his grasp and handed it to Jane.

“Nah ah. I know you, you’re just gonna order what you always order and that tastes like nothing other than a weak mimi. I’ve finally convinced Aethyta to order in some real beer, do you trust me to match one to your meal?” 

“Yeah, alright.” He answered with a shrug, dropping his hand under the table and on to Jane’s knee.

Ally turned to Jane with a nod.

“Good. Now, you have wines on the first few pages, beers on the next two, and then our list of cocktails and soft drinks. Would you like a bottle of water for your table?”

Kaidan was doing particularly interesting things with his thumb on the inside of her knee. Jane squirmed slightly in her seat.

“Um, yes please,” she replied, pulling her lip between her teeth. Control yourself Shepard, sheesh. She cleared her throat. “What would you recommend?”

Ally raised an eyebrow and shot a look at Kaidan out the corner of her eye.

“Well, that entirely depends on personal preference. In terms of wine, I personally like the 2008 Squawking Magpie Chardonnay for a white and the 2011 Sentry Hill Garrison Red for a red. Beers, I don’t have any personal favourites, but Josh over there rather likes the Speckled Gecko. I would recommend the Rekorderlig spiced apple and vanilla cider if you want warming up, and in cocktails I would recommend you try a Filthy Mare, Cuban Mule or a Long Island Iced Tea. For our food specials tonight we have a slow cooked pork belly with potato mash, caramelised apples and wilted spinach, and our fish today is salmon. The soups are pumpkin and kumara, and minestrone. I’ll give you some time to decide. Any questions?”

Jane blinked. Ally talked remarkably fast. Kaidan’s hand slid slightly higher up her leg, she reached down and rested her hand on top of his slipping her fingers into between his.

“Just one. What’s kumara?” she asked, rubbing her thumb along Kaidan’s under the table.

Ally blushed.

“Sorry, I was running on auto pilot. Kumara is what we call sweet potato back home. I’ll be back shortly with a jug of water for the table.” She nodded to them both and walked away, weaving through the tables back to the bar.

“Here, while she’s not looking.” Jane commented, sliding the drinks list across the table towards Kaidan. He grinned in response, let go of her knee and brought both hands up onto the table.

“Thanks. To be honest I’m still going to let her pick, she can be a bit abrupt but she’s got pretty good taste.” Laying the drinks list aside, he picked up the main menu. “I’m actually rather boring; I order the same main and the same beer every time I come here. What do you reckon you’ll get?”

She quickly flicked through, trying to concentrate on the words on the page and not the patch of skin on her knee that tingled in the warm air.

“Do you mean drink or main? I don’t think you’re that boring. Maybe only a little bit.”

Kaidan’s answering chuckle sent a chill down her spine.

“You wound me Shepard. I meant both.”

“Ah. Probably a Filthy Mare and the Moroccan salmon on the pumpkin risotto.” She replied, smiling gently at him. She smiled wider as she watched his eyes flutter closed with a sharp intake of breath when she slid her foot up the inside of his calf.

“Shit Shepard,” he breathed, eyes flicking back open and holding her gaze intently. Reaching up to cup her cheek, he murmured “I am getting sorely tempted to throw you over the table and have my way with you right here,” before capturing her lips in a heated kiss.

An indignant choking sound from the middle-aged woman at the next table had them breaking apart laughing, and Jane hid her face in her hands at the scandalised look on the other woman’s face. Kaidan had the good grace to look embarrassed.

“I honestly thought that was a lot quieter than it was,” he muttered, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips.

“Maybe she’s just jealous?” Jane supplied, wiping carefully wiping tears of suppressed laughter away from under her eyes.

“Maybe,” Kaidan shrugged. “I can imagine why people would be jealous of me, getting to kiss a woman like you.”

“Stop it Kaidan, you’ll make me blush!” she replied with a grin. “Besides, who’s to say she wasn’t jealous of me?”

Kaidan’s eyes darkened as he studied her over the candle.

“Who’s to say indeed.”

They sat in silence for a time, drinking in the other’s presence. Shepard had begun to squirm under Kaidan’s unyielding gaze, rubbing her thighs together under the table when Ally reappeared with a bottle of water and a notepad.

“Right,” Ally commented, flourishing her pencil. “Have you settled on what you’re having tonight?”

Other than each other? Jane bit back her instinctual reply, worrying her lower lip instead. Judging by the smirk on Kaidan’s face, she suspected he had had the same thought. That boded well for the rest of this evening… Joker was away visiting his family. Kaidan was alone in his apartment… Oh my.

Ally sighed at the expression on their faces.

“How about what you’re having to ea… Oh, that’s no better. What would you like to order?”

Kaidan replied immediately without taking his eyes off Jane.

“The venison for me thanks.”

“Wait what? You’re not having the steak? You aren’t cooking up a virus are you?” Ally asked, genuine concern colouring her voice.

“I’m fine Ally, more than fine. I’m living a little you know?”

“Hmm. What would you like Jane?”

“A Filthy Mare and the Moroccan salmon please.” Jane answered, trying to keep a straight face as Kaidan shifted in his seat, nudging his knee into hers.

Ally nodded in response, and headed back to the bar.

“So, I just remembered.” Jane commented, leaning close to Kaidan and running a finger along his jaw line. He hadn’t shaved, and she fought to suppress a shiver at the thought of feeling his stubble rub against other parts of her. Later Shepard. Later.

“Mmm?” he asked, turning his head just enough to bump his nose up against hers.

“Joker’s taken Edi back to Tiptree to visit his family for the weekend hasn’t he?” 

“He has.”

“James has come round to visit Ash.”

A wide grin slowly appeared on Kaidan’s face.

“Has he just. You’d just hate to have to go back to your apartment and be a third wheel wouldn’t you?”

Jane grinned in response and ran the tip of her finger over his lower lip.

“Why do you ask, have you got a better offer?”

She gasped as Kaidan caught her finger in his mouth and sucked gently. Pulling back with a soft pop, he smirked, and dropped a hand back onto her bare thigh, sliding it up to the hem of her dress.

“I may do,” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. “I have a stash of good chocolate, French champagne, and a feather and down duvet. What have you got back at your apartment again?”

Sneaking in a quick kiss, she smiled against his mouth.

“Ash, James and my comfortable pjs. They’re pretty comfortable pjs…”

“I would happily surrender one of my t-shirts to you if you stayed at mine tonight,” Kaidan gasped, his hand tightening on her thigh and his other tangling in her hair, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

What only felt like seconds later, a quiet cough called their attention back to their surroundings. Ally and another waiter stood next to the table, balancing their meals and drinks.

“Welcome back,” Ally commented dryly as Jane and Kaidan adjusted the tablecloth and retrieved the cutlery from the floor. Once they were settled, Ally placed their plates in front of them.

“Moroccan salmon and pumpkin risotto, with a side of steamed green vegetables, and seared venison with port jus, hazelnut spaetzel and steamed snow peas. A Filthy Mare for you Jane, and Kaidan I have matched your venison with a Speckled Gecko Brown Ale. Any problems please let either me or Josh here know.” Ally told them with a wry smile and a shake of her head before turning to leave.

The next hour passed rapidly, lost in a blur of cocktail, stolen bites of venison and salmon, murmured promises, and smirking wait staff when Jane asked for a cheesecake to share.

Kaidan groaned audibly as Jane leisurely licked a mouthful of cheesecake off the end of her fork.

“How do you manage to make that look so unspeakably erotic?” he muttered, reaching below the table and adjusting the waistband of his jeans.

“Sheer skill,” she replied, snagging the last piece of the crust off the plate and popping it in her mouth with a smug expression.

He grumbled low in his chest in response, reaching behind him to snag his jacket and scarf off the back of his chair before standing rapidly. As he shrugged into his jacket, the hem of his shirt lifted just enough to give Jane a splendid view of the trail of dark hair disappearing into the waistband of his pants. She had to clench her hands into fists to resist the urge to run a finger down that trail to its destination. Slowly she became aware that Kaidan was offering her his hand. Taking it, he gently pulled her to her feet and grabbed her coat off the back of her chair with his other hand. Draping her coat around her shoulders, he pressed a rapid kiss to her lips before crouching and retrieving her shoes from under the table.

“Would Cinderella like her footwear this evening?” he asked the corner of his mouth quirking upwards in a cheeky smirk.

“I would rather,” Jane replied, taking her shoes from his hand. “How would you like to drive me back to your apartment?”

He frowned slightly at that comment.

“I walked here…”

“I drove, but after a cocktail I probably shouldn’t drive again, and besides, I don’t want to leave the Normandy parked on the strip, I’d come back in the morning and she’d have a broken window,” she remarked, hooking her feet into her shoes and reaching for his arm to steady herself.

Kaidan slipped his arm around her waist and tugged her close.

“Let’s get out of here,” he breathed, lips ghosting over her cheek.

Ally was waiting for them at the bar with the bill. Jane was just reaching in her wallet for her card when Kaidan batted her hands away and took the bill himself.

“I can pay my share,” Jane protested, reaching for it.

“Shh, I got this,” Kaidan said, scrawling on the bill before handing it and his card back to Ally.

Ally’s eyebrows hit her hairline as she read the tip.

“Shit K, you can’t tip me that much!”

“I can and I have. Don’t worry about it Ally.”

Ally gnawed on her lip as she processed the payment.

“Thanks K. Done.” Rummaging under the counter, she handed Kaidan’s card back to him along with a couple of small packages. “Thank you for dining at Apollo’s this evening, have some complementary mints.” She paused as Kaidan pocketed his card and the packages, a deep blush racing up his neck and across his face. “Stay safe out there tonight,” she finally added with a chuckle. “See you at class on Monday K. Nice to meet you Jane.”

The walk back to the Normandy passed in companionable silence; Jane’s hand entwined with Kaidan’s and tucked into the pocket of his leather jacket. It was only once they were in the car, driving slowly back to Kaidan’s apartment that she spoke.

“So, what was so embarrassing about after dinner mints?” she asked, watching the look of concentration on his face and the way his hands slid over the steering wheel. He shot a look at her from the corner of his eye and grinned.

“She handed me four items.” he commented airily. “My credit card, two after dinner mints, and a condom. Hence why she told us to stay safe tonight – she wasn’t talking about the frost.”

Jane blinked a couple of times, turning to gaze out the window.

“Oh. I… I hadn’t given any thought to that part of things actually.” 

The answering chuckle pulled her attention back to the man behind the wheel.

“Me neither to be honest. I kind of figured that if I planned for it you’d want to go back to your apartment.” He pulled into the parking spot designated for his apartment and tugged on the handbrake. Turning to her, he reached for her hand, turning it over and tracing the lines on her palm. “On reflection, I think I’ve been a bit pushy this evening. I just want you to know that however the rest of this evening plays out, it will happen at your pace, ok?”

She tugged her hand out of his and cupped his chin, forcing him to make eye contact. His whiskey coloured eyes were filled with desire, tempered with concern.

“If we go too far, I will tell you,” she told him earnestly, before dropping her hand to tangle in his scarf. “Not that I think I will need to,” she murmured, tugging on his scarf and crushing her lips to his, sliding her other hand under his shirt and into the trail of hair she’d been dying to touch earlier. Kaidan moaned into her mouth, sliding his hands up her sides and around to her shoulder blades, pressing her breasts against his chest. They broke apart panting.

“Inside?” she asked

“Fuck yes,” he groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck. 

They fumbled up the stairs to his apartment, Jane’s shoes hampering their progress. After her fifth stumble, Kaidan grumbled in frustration and picked her up, sliding his hands down to cup her firm bottom. In response, Jane wrapped her legs around his waist, humming with pleasure as he pressed firm kisses to her neck. Somehow, they made it up the final flight, and he pressed her up against the wall as he searched his pockets for his keys. She pulled him impossibly closer, and he bucked his hips against hers, both moaning at the feel of his hardness pressing against her centre.

The door opened with a click, and they fell through, Kaidan lowering her to the ground and wrapping his arms around her waist

“Shit you’re beautiful,” he murmured, studying her face and bringing a hand up to brush some loose strands of red hair off her cheek. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.” Sliding his hand around to the back of her head, he kissed her gently, lightly nipping her lower lip before flicking it with his tongue. She groaned into his mouth, sliding her tongue past his lips and raking her fingernails up his torso. He broke the kiss off with a grunt, grabbing her hands and holding them against his chest.

“I didn’t realise you liked it rough Shepard,” he whispered huskily, turning them around and walking backwards down the hall, a gentle tug on her hands encouraging her to follow. As the crossed the threshold of his bedroom, he turned her again, pressing her into the wall and moulding himself to her back with a hand on either side of her head.

“Have you thought about this,” he murmured in her ear, his warm breath sending a bolt of heat straight to her centre, before he caught her lobe in his teeth and tugged. Jane whimpered, pushing her hips back and grinding against him. Kaidan gasped into her ear, and moved to suck on the pulse point just under her jaw. His hands slid down the wall and onto her shoulders, resting there for a moment.

“Have you ever thought about me pushing you down on a bed, spreading your legs and burying my face between your thighs?” he whispered, moving his hands down to cup her breasts through her dress. Squeezing gently, he ground his hips into hers and pressed his lips against her neck.

“Oh God yes,” she gasped, tilting her head back against his shoulder to give him better access. His stubble scraped across her shoulder and she hissed, twisting to try to get her hand between them. He groaned as she succeeded, deftly managing to undo his jeans and take his smooth length in her hand. He whirled her around as she gave him a firm stroke, pressing her back against the wall and crushing his mouth to hers.

“Clothes off now” she demanded when they broke apart, letting him go and shoving his jacket off his shoulders. He was very happy to comply, pressing wet kisses to her neck and shoulders as she fought with the buttons on his shirt, and as he tore her coat off and frantically searched for the zipper on her dress. Matching shivers raced through them as he pushed her dress off her shoulders and over her hips, and she gave up on the buttons on his shirts, tugging it off over his head and pressing her torso up against his. He grunted as she ran her hands through the dark hair on his chest, and she moaned as he pressed his fingers into her hips and peppered kisses along her collarbone. Pushing her breasts into his chest insistently, she whimpered as his hands left her hips and expertly unhooked her bra before pushing her away from his chest. Her nipples hardened in the cool air as Kaidan held her at arm’s length, eyes roaming over the length of her body. She arched her back and cried out as he suddenly bent his head and pulled a nipple into his mouth, sucking briefly before switching to the other breast. The sensations shot straight to her groin, making her throb, and stopped as suddenly as they started, replaced by his warm breath ghosting over her nipple.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he whispered gently, kissing his way up her chest, neck and along her jawline. Resting his forehead against her temple, he caressed her cheek and trailed his fingers down her chest, circling her nipple. “Hearing you moan, feeling your skin on mine… I… unnf….” Jane ran her hand down his abs, shivering as they trembled under her touch. Grabbing the waistband of his jeans and trunks, she shoved them down over his hips, grabbing his length as soon as it sprung free. Stroking firmly from root to tip, she grinned as Kaidan murmured incoherently into her shoulder.

“About as long as I’ve wanted to do this,” she whispered, before pushing him back and dropping to her knees. He cried out as she ran her tongue along the underside of his shaft, before swirling around the tip and taking him in her mouth. Humming, she bobbed her head, the noises of pleasure she was drawing from him and his hand fisting in her hair made heat pool low in her belly and her toes curl in those shoes. It seemed like no time at all before Kaidan’s hips were jerking erratically and he was pulling her to her feet and crushing his mouth to hers.

“My turn,” he told her, before pushing her backwards onto the bed and struggling out of his pants where they had gotten tangled in his shoes. Crawling up between her legs, he slowly kissed his way up her thighs. She trembled with anticipation as he settled with his lips hovering above the thin lace that covered her centre. He propped himself on an elbow and ran a fingertip along her folds, the sensation even through the fabric causing her to arch off the bed with a long moan. He chuckled at her response, hooking his fingers into the waistband and pulling her panties away. She moaned again as the cool air on her centre sent shivers throughout her body, and cried out as Kaidan ran a finger through her folds, delving swiftly and pulling back, leaving her throbbing and unbearably empty.

“Kaidan, fuck. Please?” She peered down her body to see him grin.

“Please what?” He asked, teasing her curls with the tip of his finger. She arched her back with a groan, trying to get him to press harder.

“Touch me. Lick me. Anything, please.” she begged breathlessly, hooking a leg over his shoulder and trying to tug his head forward. She felt his chuckle as much as she heard it, throwing her head back with a breathless cry as he slipped two fingers into her folds, closely followed by his tongue. He brought her to the edge at least twice, changing the tempo and leaving her writhing under his hand and tongue.

“Please, I need you,” she eventually begged, twining her hand in his hair and tugging upwards. Giving her clit a final firm lick, he let her pull him up her body trailing kisses along her stomach and swirling his tongue around her nipples. Settling between her legs, he kissed her deeply, positioning himself at her entrance as she clung to him, nails digging into his back. Pulling back from the kiss, he propped himself on his elbow and gazed into her green eyes.

“Do you want this?” he asked softly, rubbing his tip against her and running his free hand through her hair. She pushed her hips up towards his in response with a moan.

“Oh God yes. Please Kaidan…”

He captured her lips in a kiss, thrusting his hips gently as he pushed inside her. She moaned into his mouth and slid her hands down to squeeze his ass, tugging him deeper inside her. He broke off the kiss to groan into her shoulder as he began to thrust harder, pulling back enough to watch her breasts bounce with each thrust.

She tossed her head back on the pillow as he moved, the sensations almost overwhelming, each thrust bringing her closer to the edge. She cried out as he sat back on his knees, hooking his elbows under her legs and bringing her closer, the new angle brushing oh yes that spot right there with every thrust. She slid one hand down between them rubbing at her clit, the other hand caressing her nipple. Kaidan’s guttural moan as he watched her touch herself shot straight to her groin, and she fell over the edge with a breathless cry. Seconds later Kaidan followed her, collapsing onto her with a groan and erratically jerking hips. They lay there for several long moments, easing out the aftershocks with gentle touches and soft murmurs of affection. Eventually he rolled off her, fumbling on his bedside table for a tissue box. Grabbing a couple of tissues, he offered her the box before starting to clean himself off.

“So uh, it appears I forgot about the condom…”

Jane laughed as she pulled a tissue from the box and followed suit.

“Don’t worry too much, Mom insisted I had a contraceptive implant put in before coming to college so you’re off the hook there, unless you give me something itchy…”

He laughed in response, tossing the soiled tissues in the general direction of his rubbish bin before burrowing under the duvet, pulling Jane with him. She nuzzled into his chest as he tucked his arm around her, and rested her hand across his stomach. As he traced lazy patterns on her back, his heart pounding a familiar rhythm under her ear, she began to drift off to sleep, utterly content in the afterglow. Her heart skipped a beat as Kaidan whispered in her ear.

“I love you Jane.”

Pulling her head up sharply she pressed her lips to his, before pulling back and whispering her answer against his lips.

“I love you too.”

He grinned in response and pulled her close. They fell asleep not long after, entwined in each other’s arms.


End file.
